Imaging in catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: enhancing the clinician's view.
Catheter ablation is an effective treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation. A thorough understanding of the left atrium anatomy and its adjacent structures is critical for the success of the procedure and for avoiding complications. Pre-procedural imaging aims at determining left atrial size, anatomy, and function and is also used to rule out an atrial thrombus. During the procedure, while fluoroscopy remains the gold standard imaging modality for guiding transseptal catheterization and catheter ablation, numerous other imaging modalities have been developed to improve 3D navigation and ablation. Finally, post-operative imaging intends to monitor heart function and to search for potential complications like pulmonary vein stenosis or the rare but dramatic atrio-oesophageal fistula. This review discusses the relative merits of all imaging modalities available in the context of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.
Knecht
Sébastien
S
Service de Rythmologie, Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Avenue de Magellan, Bordeaux-Pessac 33604, France. sebastien.knecht@chu-brugmann.be
Nault
Isabelle
I
Wright
Matthew
M
Matsuo
Seiichiro
S
Lellouche
Nicolas
N
Somasundaram
Porur E
PE
O'Neill
Mark D
MD
Lim
Kang-Teng
KT
Sacher
Frederic
F
Deplagne
Antoine
A
Bordachar
Pierre
P
Hocini
Mélèze
M
Clémenty
Jacques
J
Haïssaguerre
Michel
M
Jaïs
Pierre
P
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D018780:Body Surface Potential Mapping / Q000639:trends*; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000639:trends*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000639:trends*